City of St Thomas
Long Range Visioning Engagement and Status
About the Art
This surrealist collage, assembled through Dada-style cut-up techniques, traces a single winding railway, a nod to St. Thomas’s history as the Railway City, as it moves through the landmarks and legends that shape the City’s identity. City Hall’s spire rises against the sky; the Canada Southern Railway Station recalls the City’s founding; Jumbo, the elephant whose monument has long stood as local legend, strides through the grass. Overhead, a sunflower stands in for the sun, and an arch behind City Hall opens onto the cosmic unknown, a horizon still being written. Created for St. Thomas’ Brighter Future strategic plan, the piece imagines a city moving forward without leaving its own story behind.
Original artwork by Aedán Crooke of Surface Impression. No AI was used in generating this artwork.
Digital and in-person tools help residents follow the Brighter Future Strategic Plan, master plans and other long-range city-building work
St. Thomas gives residents recurring digital and in-person ways to follow strategic priorities, see project progress and contribute to decisions shaping the city’s long-term future.
The City of St. Thomas is making long-range planning easier for residents to follow as it unfolds through its Long Range Visioning Engagement and Status initiative.
The project supports engagement with the City’s Brighter Future Strategic Plan, master plans and future city-building initiatives. Instead of relying mainly on static reports, the city uses a mix of digital and in-person tools, including online surveys, interactive mapping, pop-up events, community meetings, social media, engagement platforms, livestreamed meetings and easier access to agendas and minutes.
A key part of the approach is keeping the Strategic Plan in front of Council and the public. Each month, one pillar of the plan is highlighted at a Council meeting. Related key performance indicators are updated and presented so Council can discuss them, ask questions, make recommendations and keep progress visible.
The city also hosts public meetings for master plans, community improvement projects, public information sessions, financial projects and future strategic planning work. Residents can use digital tools to see the status of projects and budgets, follow consultations, and understand upcoming goals, commitments and timelines.
The initiative also creates more entry points for participation. The city offers in-person events, online attendance options, customer service support, website updates, newsletters, social media posts and facility screens with information about meetings, initiatives, Council members and committees.
Taken together, these channels give residents more than a finished plan to read. They can follow progress, see what is coming next and contribute at different points. This makes planning more understandable and gives the public clearer opportunities to take part before the City’s future direction is settled.
